Voters Reject Government That Ignores Their Concerns

via PRNewswire On Nov 5, 2008
Source: PRN, PRNOTW

Immigration Among Many Failed Policies Americans Want Reformed by New Administration

WASHINGTON , Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The results of yesterday's elections are a clear rejection by the voters of government of, by, and for, special interests, and policies that have brought this nation to the brink of an economic crisis. The economic crisis and the $700 billion taxpayer bailout package overshadowed all other issues in the campaign. However, the public continues to count immigration among the failed special interest-driven policies that must be reformed by the new Congress and the new administration, says the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Like so many policies of the past eight years repudiated by the voters yesterday, Americans are fed-up with immigration policies that have placed the interests of immigration lawbreakers, cheap labor employers, and ethnic power brokers ahead of those of struggling workers and taxpayers.

"President-elect Obama staked his campaign on the theme of change that ordinary voters can believe in, and change that places public good ahead of narrow political interests," noted Dan Stein , president of FAIR. "To the extent that Senator Obama received a mandate, it is to put government back on the side of working Americans. A critical component of an economic recovery plan for struggling workers must be to set rational limits on immigration, enforce laws against employing illegal aliens, and resist calls for more guest workers.

"As a candidate, Senator Obama had the luxury of skirting difficult issues like immigration. As president, he will have to put forward a coherent immigration policy that recognizes that reforming immigration is critical to getting our economy back on track," said Stein. "At a time when the economy is faltering, when nearly a million Americans have lost their jobs this year alone, when federal, state and local governments are facing unprecedented deficits, President Obama will need to institute and enforce immigration policies that do not add to these problems," said Stein.

By wide margins, Americans believe that their interests would best be served by overall reductions in the flow of immigration, and enforcement of immigration laws in a way that sends a clear message to both illegal aliens and their employers that the interests of law-abiding, hard-working Americans is paramount.

"We congratulate President-elect Obama on his victory and we look forward to working with his new administration to bring long overdue changes to an immigration policy that, along with many other policies of the past eight years, were soundly rejected by voters across the country and across the political spectrum," said Stein.

About FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest and oldest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.